If you are building a stereo that utilizes high-power amplifiers then it is important to consider your vehicle's battery and charging system. Most cars are not setup to handle the additional power needs of a large stereo, and running such a setup can cause problems like premature battery failure. There is a cheap and simple upgrade that can help keep the strain off of your battery; the solution is adding power capacitors. Here at Andy's Auto Sport we have a full selection of power capacitors from many of the top brand names. While power capacitors are a great functional upgrade, we also dig the way they look; giving your ride a real custom touch.

DID YOU KNOW?

The invention of the capacitor goes back several hundred years to 1745 when it was developed by a European scientist. Simple in design and function, the basic idea of a capacitor is that it can store energy in an electric field. Unlike a battery it cannot store lots of energy over long periods of time, but in short term applications it is perfect. When you use your stereo system, your amplifiers are not always putting out peak power; they really only reach full current draw during a heavy load like a hard base hit. Under normal operation your power capacitor will store energy, but when you have a loud base hit it will release its energy acting as a buffer between the amp and the battery, which in turn helps to preserve your battery. Not bad for such a simple little device.

FAQ's

Q: How does the voltage affect a power capacitor? How do I know which voltage is best for me?A: Capacitors generally have two different voltage ratings: an operating voltage which indicates the amount of voltage a capacitor can take for long term use, and a surge voltage rating that tells the maximum amount of short term voltage the capacitor can withstand before failing. Car audio capacitors are generally available in 16 volt and 20 volt versions with some 24 volt versions becoming popular. In theory the more voltage the capacitor is rated for the higher the amount of energy it can store. However when hooked up to a car audio system the capacitor will only operate to the maximum voltage of the rest of the circuit. For most cars the alternator/battery circuit doesn't exceed more than +/- 14 volts so the capacitor will only operate at this voltage. Unless you have a custom setup that is able to charge a 24 volt capacitor to its maximum voltage there is no real gain to going bigger than a 16 volt capacitor.

Q: What does a Power Capacitor do? Why buy a Power Capacitor?A: A power capacitor is a device used in your car audio setup to act as a buffer between your car battery and amplifier. Wired in line between the battery and amp it works by storing up energy from the battery so that when a drop in system voltage is detected it can temporarily release the stored energy to the amplifier. This helps to stabilize voltage across the system and will extend the life of your car audio components, especially amplifiers. It is important to match your capacitors power capabilities to that of your amplifier.

Q: What does Farad mean when it comes to power capacitors? How do I know which is best for me?A: A Farad is a means of rating the power of a capacitor. Similar to how wattage is used as the power rating system for amplifiers, farads are used for capacitors. Because a capacitors job is to take some of the load off of the battery when you are running high-powered amplifiers, you will need to match the capacitor to the power output of the amplifier. A good general rule of thumb is that for every 500 - 1000 watts of amplifier you are running you will need roughly 1 farad for the capacitor. So if you are running 3000 watts of amplification you will need a 3+ farad capacitor.